Commission Approves Allegheny Energy Transmission Project

Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Co. (TrAILCo), a subsidiary of Allegheny Energy Inc., has announced that the Virginia State Corporation Commission authorized construction of the Virginia segments of the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line (TrAIL).

‘After an extensive public review, the Virginia Commission has determined that TrAIL is critical to the continued flow of reliable electricity throughout the mid-Atlantic region,’ says Paul J. Evanson, chairman, president and CEO of Allegheny Energy.

In its ruling, the commission agreed with the recommended decision made in late July by a Virginia hearing examiner. Both the commission and the hearing examiner found that the 500 kV line is necessary to resolve transmission system overloads projected to occur as soon as 2011.

The commission's order is subject to certain conditions, including regulatory approval in the other states the TrAIL line will cross, prior to beginning construction in Virginia. The West Virginia Public Service Commission approved the project in early August. TrAILCo expects a decision from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission later this year.

TrAIL is targeted for completion in 2011 and will span Allegheny Power's transmission zone from southwestern Pennsylvania through West Virginia to northern Virginia. In Virginia, the line would run about 28 miles through Frederick and Warren counties, generally adjacent to other transmission lines, to an interconnection point with Dominion Virginia Power. Dominion would extend the line from that point to its Loudoun substation in Loudoun County.